1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to rubbery dampers designed to reduce vibration and absorb shock in an archery bow. The disclosed invention is a finned damper which is resilient and flexible and may be mounted to any part of an object, such as an archery bow, so that the damper will not interfere with the object""s use, yet the damper reduces undesired vibrations generated by and during the object""s use. The disclosed invention has been tested and proven to provide more damping than rubber dampers currently available.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Archery bows tend to generate undesirable vibrations and noise during use. These can detract from the performance of the bow and the archer. In archery, the archer nocks an arrow and draws his or her bow, hoping to shoot the arrow straight and sure to hit a target some distance away. The drawing of the bow stores potential energy in the bow and bowstring, which when released impart kinetic energy by a forward thrust to the arrow. When the bowstring is released, most of the stored energy is transferred to the arrow, causing the arrow to fly according to the force and direction of the bowstring travel. However, a portion of the energy is not transferred to the arrow, but is instead reflected back into the bow and transferred back to the archer""s bowhand. Ideally, all of the stored energy should be transferred to the arrow. But this is not possible due to the physics, mechanics, and dynamics of the bow, bowstring, and arrow system configuration. This returned energy appears to the archer as a recoil, or kick, felt in his or her bow arm. When the bowstring is released, the limbs accelerate forward and engage in a series of rapid vibrations which ultimately die down. This series of vibrations may be so forceful as to affect the flight of the arrow. One way to lessen the effect of these vibrations is through the use of stabilizer rods. Stabilizers are weighted devices which are mounted to the riser area of the bow and are designed to reduce torque and absorb vibration generated upon release. The stabilizers are mounted to the back of the bow (the side which faces the target and faces away from the archer) and help lessen the vibration of the bow limbs. Mechanical dampers are also used to reduce bow vibrations. These mechanical dampers are usually mounted to the front of a bow below the grip. In a conventional mechanical damper, a metal cylinder is filled with oil and a piston in the cylinder is allowed to travel back an forth within the oil-filled cylinder, thereby damping vibrations.
Several patents disclose vibration damping devices for use with sports equipment, hand tools, and other such devices. U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,046 to Sims (1994) shows a vibration damping device for implements which are subject to impact. The Sims patent is disclosed and claimed for use with an xe2x80x9cimplementxe2x80x9d, defined as xe2x80x9cwielded devices designed to impart and receive impactsxe2x80x9d, such as golf clubs, baseball bats, tennis rackets, and hammers. See Sims at Col. 1:12-16. However, although the patent is restricted to the wielded devices, the disclosed damper is commercially available and marketed as an archery bow damper, called the xe2x80x9cLIMB SAVERxe2x80x9d. This device has a mushroom-like configuration provided by a head and an integral stem and is fabricated from a soft elastomeric material. The stem is capable of oscillating over a 360xc2x0 span in directions generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the device. The peripheral part of the head can oscillate around its circumference in directions generally paralleling that axis. For this vibration damping device to function effectively, it is essential that the ratio between the diameter d of the head and length l of the stem be between 5:1 and 1:1. U.S. design Pat. Nos. D436,643 and D445,161, also issued to Sims (2001), show an archery bow shock absorber and a vibration damper, respectively, in the knob and stem configuration.
It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a finned vibration damper, made of a resilient elastomeric material, that provides superior damping. It is another object of the present invention to provide a finned vibration damper that will enhance the performance of an archery bow. Another object of the present invention is to provide a finned vibration damper that will reduce vibration of the limb and noise of the bow during use. It is another object of the present invention to provide a finned vibration damper that will reduce the bow""s recoil. It is another object of the present invention to provide a finned vibration damper which may be attached to any part or surface of an archery bow. It is another object of the present invention to provide a vibration damper which can conform to the shape of and firmly engages an archery bow limb. Another object of the present invention is to provide a finned vibration damper that will not interfere with the use of the archery bow. Another object of the present invention is to provide a finned vibration damper that is of simple design and economical manufacture and has a long in-service useful life. It is another object of the present invention to provide a finned vibration damper that is easy to install and remove, small and lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to store when not in use.
The invention discloses a finned vibration damper which is made of a resilient and pliable elastomeric material such that the material properties lend themselves to energy absorption. The invention further discloses a vibration damper in which the resilient material is formed into a series of fins which absorb vibration imparted to an archery bow. In one alternative embodiment of the present invention, the damper is formed with a series of fins and a base that extends beyond the fins at each end. The base extensions aid in attachment of the damper by allowing it to be wrapped around any cross-section of the vibrating object, such as an archery bow. In this embodiment the base extensions may be further modified by forming into them a series of interlocking teeth and grooves, which help strengthen the attachment of the damper around a vibrating object, such as a bow""s mechanical damper or counterweights. In yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, the damper is formed in a ring with fins, so that the damper can be stretched over a cylindrical object, such as an archery counterweight or mechanical damper.